Dipshikha “Non-Formal Education, Training and Research Society for village Development” is a rural development organization. The word Dipshikha was derived from two Bengali words – Dip and Shikha. Dip means light or lamp and Shikha means flame or spark of light. So, the meaning of Dipshikha stands as sparkling flame of lamp, which never puts out and continues illuminating people and places. The sparkling fame of light is the symbol of socio- cultural and economic development of people through ‘helping people help themselves’. Dipshikha helps people in such a way that they can proceed forward from ignorant to wisdom and knowledge, from illiteracy to literacy, from conservatism to modernity, and from narrowness to broadness. Thus Dipshikha has commitment of mass education, leadership development, democracy, economic emancipation, social empowerment, and so forth. Dipshikha teaches people to love each other and to be kind to each other so that they can build up brotherhood and friendship among themselves. Where there is brotherhood and friendship, there ever exist peace and just.
Dipshikha was initiated by a group of social workers, schoolteachers and youths in 1978 in a village called Rudrapur under Mangalpur Union Parishad of Birol Upazila, District Dinajpur. With the simple and modest beginning in a small village, Dipshikha is gradually expanding in its contiguous areas according to the people’s needs and demands. Dipshikha is now working in 9 Upazilas of 3 districts with a total of 9844 group members/families.